In the global landscape, institutions aimed at preserving, promoting, and empowering tribal communities have proliferated. However, pervasive structural barriers often prevent these communities from exercising control over the production of knowledge concerning their traditions and identities. Drawing from my autoethnographic insights gained as a research intern at the National Tribal Research Institute (NTRI), I advocate for a closer examination of the legal frameworks governing the operations of structural agents within tribal institutions. This scrutiny is essential for fostering meaningful engagement with tribal communities and facilitating the co-production of epistemologies reflective of their lifeworld. Reflecting on my background as a cultural member of the Zo tribe in India, I identify two vital structural agents that warrant attention in bridging the gap between local and academic knowledge production. There are two types of structural agents- the human and the material. Firstly, the role of humans as structural agents, exemplified by instances such as the appointment of a Brahmin upper-caste Chairperson during my internship at NTRI, determines how epistemic injustices are delivered. This appointment resulted in discriminatory practices against tribal communities during institutional events, where their cultural and traditional knowledge was often symbolically essentialized rather than seen as an extension of tribal cultural forms. Second, is the infrastructure’s materiality as structural agents. Material infrastructure as a structural agent persists where tribal art forms are misrepresented. For instance, at NTRI, Warli tribal art from Maharashtra was incorporated into the building floor design, which drew criticism from Warli tribal communities who deemed it as discriminatory to “lay their art on the floor which is then stepped on.” Through my reflexive autoethnography, I argue that a collaborative and inclusive dialogue for bridging local and academic knowledge production will be pursuable by holding structural agents accountable through legislative measures against epistemic injustices.